Hiatal hernia and pulmonary function impairment: incidence or coincidence?

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pulmonology
• Surgical Medicine

Background:

• Esophageal reflux is often linked to respiratory symptoms.
• A potential cause-effect relationship between reflux esophagitis and pulmonary issues is suggested in literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between reflux esophagitis and obstructive lung impairment.
• To compare the incidence of obstructive lung disease in patients with reflux esophagitis versus the general surgical population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of preoperative pulmonary function tests.
• Comparison of data from 90 patients with reflux esophagitis and 277 patients undergoing non-thoracic elective surgery.

Main Results:

• Obstructive lung disease was present in 37.7% of reflux esophagitis patients.
• Obstructive lung disease was present in 51.9% of the general surgical population.
• The incidence of obstructive lung disease was higher in the general surgical group.

Conclusions:

• A direct cause-and-effect link between reflux esophagitis and obstructive lung impairment could not be established.
• The prevalence of significant obstructive lung impairment in the general surgical population is likely underestimated.